Anticancer effects of novel thalidomide analogs in A549 cells through inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase-2

Lung cancer is one of the major causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and non-small-cell lung cancer is the most common form of lung cancer. Several studies had shown that thalidomide has potential for prevention and therapy of cancer. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the antitumor effects of two novel thalidomide analogs in human lung cancer A549 cells. The antiproliferative, antimigratory, and apoptotic effects in A549 cells induced by thalidomide analogs were examined. In addition, their effects on the expression of mRNAs encoding vascular endothelial growth factor165 (VEGF165) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) were evaluated. Their influence on the tumor volume in nude mice was also determined. Results revealed that thalidomide analogs exhibited antiproliferative, antimigratory, and apoptotic activities with more pronounced effect than thalidomide drug. Furthermore, analogs 1 and 2 suppressed the expression levels of VEGF165 by 42% and 53.2% and those of MMP-2 by 45% and 52%, respectively. Thalidomide analogs 1 and 2 also reduced the tumor volume by 30.11% and 53.52%, respectively. Therefore, this study provides evidence that thalidomide analogs may serve as a new therapeutic option for treating lung cancer.